By Laura Walter

What’s the best place for a date night? Or day trip? Where is the best brewery, seafood, event venue, new restaurant or pet groomer? These answers and more are found in the 2024 Stars of Salisbury, hosted by Salisbury Independent.

This comprehensive readers’ poll features hundreds of restaurants, parks, businesses and individuals who serve their customers and community each day. Readers voted all summer on everything from health and beauty to food, auto and home services.

The winners have been announced, and the finalists gathered at Wicomico Youth and Civic Center to celebrate on Sept. 26.

The Stars program is part of the newspaper’s mission to strengthen the community by publishing unbiased journalism and growing local business. The Stars contest gets readers involved, the magazine highlights great business and service, and the ticketed event celebrates those honorees.

“You are all stars and people that your customers really care about,” said Publisher Konrad LaPrade. “I hope you will celebrate with your employees. This is an opportunity for us to be able to connect together … I love to do an event where we can talk about the businesses and the community involvement here.”

A special highlight is the Stars of Salisbury Person of the Year award, celebrating good deeds in the community.

Doug Marshall was named the 2024 Person of the Year for his ongoing dedication to the community. He’s organized various public memorial events; helped raise millions of dollars for charity; served on various advisory boards; and supports music education.

But he reexamined his life after community tragedy. “If I knew I was going to not make it through the day, how would I live? and that’s how I live every day,” Marshall said.

Today, Marshall believes in a healthier relationship between law enforcement and the at-risk youth community. He served on a police accountability review board—and his projects, like the annual Heacook Fest, benefit groups that raise the spirits of, or provide mental health support for first responders. He also mentors young people. “If we can focus on what our at-risk youth need in Wicomico County, we’d be much better off.”

Person of the Year finalist Craig Faunce was also recognized for physically making this world cleaner and healthier, for every single person. He has been collecting litter from Salisbury streets for about four years, one walk at a time, inspiring others to do the same and organizing community trash clean-ups.

“I just walked out of my house one day and started cleaning,” Faunce said. “It only takes five minutes—it’s not that hard. You could go out and make a difference, even if you only pick up light things.”

The party featured a WYCC buffet dinner, photo ops, live jazz music by the Joe Baione Trio and an introduction of Richard Caines, the new editor of Salisbury Independent.

Event sponsors made it all possible, including Chesapeake Utilities/Sandpiper Utilities, TidalHealth and Robinson’s Family of Businesses.

John Robinson gave a memorial toast to Greg Bassett, the late Salisbury Independent news editor: “He was an honest, fair person … in his reporting. He didn’t care who it was on: it could be a famous person, someone who advertised in the [paper], he would report honestly and fairly.”

For a full list of winners and finalists, plus Person of the Year interviews, look for the Stars of Salisbury 2024 publication, inserted in the Salisbury Independent Oct. 1 newspaper and online at sections.iniusa.org.